EIS 362 AB01821 1 Birds Rock Colliery Pty. Ltd
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EIS 362 AB018211 Birds Rock Colliery Pty. Ltd., appendix E : environmental assessment of proposed rail spur from Newnes Junction to colliery site AB018211 I PjOCi F HSW APPENDIX E I I I BIRDS ROCK COLLIERY PTY LTD I ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF I PROPOSED RAIL SPUR FROM NEWNES JUNCTION TO COLLIERY SITE ii 1 I JULY 1981 I I I I I I BIRDS ROCK COLLIERY PTY LTD ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF PROPOSED RAIL SPUR FROM NEWNES JUNCTION TO COLLIERY SITE JULY 1981 SINCLAJR KNIGHT & PARTNERS PlY. LTD. CONSULTiNG ENGINEERS I Chandos Street St. Leonards, New South Wales 2065 Australia Telex: AA26462 Phone: (02) 439 2866 6080 TAbLE OF CONTENTS Page No. SUMMARY 1 INTRO[)UCTION 3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 5 3.1 LOCATION 5 3.2 ROUTE DESCRIPTION 5 3.3 DESIGN PARAMETERS 7 3.4 ARRANGEMENTS AT NEWNES JUNCTION 8 3.5 ROAD CROSSINGS 9 3.5.1 Clarence Colliery Overbridge 9 3.5.2 Service Road Overbridge 9 3.6 TRACKWORK 10 3.7 ELECTRIFICATION 10 3.8 SIGNALLING AND COMMUNICATIONS 11 3.9 TRAIN LOADING FACILITIES 11 3.10 RAIL LINE SERVICE ROAD 12 3.11 RAIL LINE CONSTRUCTION 12 3.11.1 Construction Schedule 12 3.11.2 Plant and Equipment 12 3.11.3 Clearing 13 3.11.4 Earthworks 13 3.11.5 Drainage Control 14 3.11.6 Rehabilitation 15 3.12 TRAIN OPERATIONS 16 I I I I ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED & POSSIBLE FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS 17 I 4.1 ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS 17 4.2 CONVEYOR SYSTEM 17 I 4.3 ALTERNATIVE RAIL ROUTE 19 I 4.4 FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS 20 I EXISTING ENVIRONMENT 21 5.1 REGIONAL CHARACTERISTICS 21 I 5.2 CLIMATE 21 I 5.3 TERRAIN 23 5.3.1 Topography 23 5.3.2 Geology 24 I 5.3.3 Soil Types & Erodability 24 5.4 HYDROLOGY 25 I 5.4.1 Surface Water 25 5.4.2 Groundwater 25 I 5.4.3 Water Quality 25 5.5 BIOLOGY 28 I 5.5.1 Vegetation 28 5.5.2 Fauna 29 I 5.6 ACOUSTICS 30 5.7 HISTORY 31 I 5.7 1 Aboriginal Artefacts 31 5.7.2 European History 32 I 5.8 LAND FABRIC 33 5.8.1 land Ownership & Tenure 33 I 5.8.2 Land Use 34 I I I 6. ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS 36 6.1 CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES 36 6.1.1 Clearing 36 6.1.2 Drainage and Erosion Control 37 6.1.3 Noise and Vibration Control 37 6.1.4 Rehabilitation 38 6.1.5 Visual Aesthetics 38 6.1.6 Protection of Aboriginal Sites 39 6.2 DESIGN AND OPERATIONAL SAFEGUARDS 40 6.2.1 Drainage 40 6.2.2 Dust Control 40 6.2.3 Rail Maintenance 41 6.2.4 Public Safety 41 6.2.5 Bush Fire Protection 41 7. IMPACT EVALUATION 42 7.1 VISUAL ASPECTS 42 7.2 SOIL EROSION & WATER QUALITY 43 7.3 FLORA & FAUNA 43 7.4 AIR QUALITY 44 7.5 AREAS OF HISTORICAL INTEREST 44 7.6 INCREASED RAIL TRAFFIC 414. 7.7 NOISE & BLASTING IMPACTS 45 7.7.1 Assessment Criteria 45 7.7.2 Construction Phase 46 7.7.3 Rail Operation 47 I I I I 7.8 LAND USES 47 I 7.9 SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS 48 7.10 TRANSPORTATION OF MATERIALS 48 I 7.11 COAL STERILISATION 48 I 8. REFERENCES 49 I TABLES I 3.1 CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE I 3.2 COST COMPARISON - RAILWAY/CONVEYOR 4.1 CLIMATIC DATA - NEWNES AFFORESTATION CAMP AND MT. VICTORIA I 4.2 WATER QUALITY DATA I 7.1 BACKGROUND NOISE LEVELS - CATEGORY Ri AREA I I I I I I I I I I 1 I I LIST OF EXHIBITS I PROPOSED RAIL LINK I I 2. ALTERNATIVE RAIL AND CONVEYOR SCHEMES I 3. RAILWAY TYPICAL CROSS-SECTIONS I 4. FOREST STRUCTURE I 5. NOISE CONTOURS AND VIEWPOINTS I SELECTED VIEW SECTIONS I I I I I I I I I I I I I I APPENDICES 1 APPENDIX 1 ACOUSTIC REPORT I I APPENDIX 2 FLORA SURVEY I APPENDIX 3 ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORT I I I I I I I 1 I I I I I 1. SUMMARY This report has been prepared to assess the environmental impacts that might arise as a result of the construction and operation of a single track, standard gauge, electrified coal haulage rail line from the site of the proposed birds Rock Colliery to Newnes Junction on the State Rail Authority's Main Western Rail Line. The proposed rail line would traverse the eastern side of the Newnes Plateau and its completion is scheduled to coincide with the commence- ment of coal production at the Colliery early in 1984. The proposed route would take the line partly through country that has been used for rail purposes in the past and partly through terrain which has not had a history of significant construction activity although much of it has been and continues to be used for forestry purposes, in particular, the cutting of regrowth timber for mine pit props and the clearing of land for pine plantation establishment. The Newnes Plateau area, apart from being a multiple use recreation area, also currently sup- ports developments including quarrying, forestry and coal mining. Immediately east and north east of the Plateau are two of the State's larger National Parks, namely the Blue Mountains National Park and the Wollemi National Park. A full description of the Newnes Plateau is contained in Chapter 5, Existing Environment. The development of the rail line would have adverse effects on the acoustic environment of the Plateau and some adjacent areas, on some of the swamp areas along the route and on visual quality at the northern- most end of the line (although this latter impact would be only short term). The proposal would also increase soil erosion hazards along some sections of its route. The majority of these impacts are short term and, as described in this document, can be kept to acceptable levels. Long term impacts include increased noise levels at Newnes Junction which will be generated by train movements from the Colliery to the Main Western Rail Line, and increased rail traffic movements amounting to an average of 3.5 trains (7 movements) per day. The significance of increased rail traffic movements on the Main Western Line is that the level crossing on the Great Western Highway at Katoom- ba will have to be closed for an additional 35 minutes per day. 1 The significance of the direct environmental impacts of the project on the Newnes Plateau area is assessed within the context of existing levels of activity on the Plateau, and in the light of the environmen- I tal safeguards which will be adopted during both construction and operation of the Line, which are detailed in Chapter 6, 'Envirorimen- tal Safeguards'. Within that context, and bearing in mind the limited I alternatives available as discussed in Chapter 4, 'Alternatives', it is considered that the proposal offers an economically efficient and eri- vironmentally acceptable way of transporting coal from Birds Rock to I export ports in Sydney and Wollongong. I I I I I H I I LI I I 1 I I 2 1 I 2. TNT RO DUCT ION 11 I Birds Rock Colliery Pty. Ltd. has proposed the development of an underground coal mine at Birds Rock, approximately 13 kilometres north I of Lithgow. A full description of the Colliery Proposal is contained in the Birds Rock Colliery Environmental Impact Study (Ref. 1.). I The mine has been designed to produce, at full capacity, 3 million tonries per annum of steaming coal for export. Projected mine life is I approximately 30 years and production is scheduled to commence in 1984. I To transport coal from the mine to the export ports of Balmain and Port Kembla it is proposed to build an electrified rail line from the I colliery site to Newnes Junction, approximately 11 kilometres to the south, where it will link up with the State Rail Authority's Main I Western Rail Line. Current planning schedules provide for rail construction works to start in June 1982 and to end in October, 1983. I This document describes the project and assesses its likely impacts on the physical, biological and aesthetic environment of Newnes Plateau - and surrounding areas. I Chapter 3 describes the proposed rail route, the rail line design, and the timing and nature of activities involved in its construction. it also includes a description of rehabilitation procedures proposed to be I implemented on all disturbed areas and embankment batters. Chapter 4 discusses the alternative schemes for hauling coal from the mine site to the State Rail Authority's Main Western Line that were consi- I dered during the design phase, and outlines possible future mining developments on the Plateau and the role that the proposed rail line may play in these developiuerits. I 3 I I I Chapter 5 describes in detail the Newnes Plateau environment, current I land uses, and areas of historical and archaeological interest. I Chapter 6 describes the environmental safeguards that will be impleme- nted during the construction phase, with particular attention being paid to erosion control, water management, protection of aboriginal I sites and rehabilitation. I The final chapter, Chapter 7, discusses the likely environmental impacts of the project. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 4 I I 3. PROJECT DESCRIPTION I I I 3.1 LOCATION The proposed rail line will divert from the State Rail Authority's Main I Western Line at Newnes Junction and then strike northwards across Newnes Plateau for approximately 11 kilometres, terminating in a balloon loop at the site of the proposed Birds Rock Colliery, immedia- [I tely north of the Forestry Commission's Nine Mile Pine Plantation.